


Let The Storm Rage On

by Empress_Irony



Category: Frozen (2013), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, I got a prompt and got in too deep..., Multi, Some OOC, crack!fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-25 00:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4939468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empress_Irony/pseuds/Empress_Irony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Previously posted on ff.net (incompletely). Based on a meme of a psychotic Thor wanting to build a snowman and a cracky prompt from a friend during the conversation that followed. </p>
<p>King Thor of Asgard and Princess Anna of Arendelle have against all odds found happiness together and are finally getting married; if only their siblings were as happy as they were! But all thoughts of romance are soon on hold as old enemies gather in the shadows...</p>
<p>Non-Avengers and Dark World compliant AU, with serious characterisation liberties taken as a result.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Loki looked out of the tower window as sunset descended over Asgard. He sighed and turned his back on the burnt orange and grapefruit sky as he heard a timid knock on his door.  
“Enter,” he said. 

His mother stepped through the door with smile on her face that was just a bit too understanding for Loki's liking.  
“They'll be arriving soon, you really must descend to greet them.” She spoke to him as though he was fragile, or worse, volatile. Sutr, you try to obliterate an entire race once to win the approval of your father and suddenly everyone thinks you're going to fly off the handle at the smallest thing.  
“Of course Mother, it would be remiss of me as the last Prince of Jotunheim.”  
“Prince of Asgard, my son. Asgard.” The look on her face made him regret his little joke. “Come down soon, after all you only get to make a first impression on your future sister-in-law once.” She left the room. 

He sighed again and ran his long, pale fingers through his raven hair. He really must get it cut before the wedding. He thought of the wedding and felt another pang of guilt. The wedding. Repairing the bifrost had taken a long time, a very long time. So long that by the time it was finished, not only had Loki had managed to con the Chitauri into transporting him out of the depths of oblivion and back to Asgard, but Jane Foster had forced herself to forget Thor, married, had children, grown old and died. Loki would never forget the day that Jane died. Thor had come back from Heimdall looking like a broken man; he had smiled sadly at Loki, clapped him on the shoulder and walked into the throne room with unshed tears shining in his blue eyes. He was glad that his older brother had found someone, but he was well aware that it wasn't the wedding he should have had, the one that he would have had – had it not been for Loki.  
He put on his headdress and cloak and left the confines of his chambers to go to the courtyard; it's not that he didn't want to meet Anna and her sister, but he found even descriptions of her to be annoyingly chirpy. Vor help him when he actually met her. At least this Midgardian was actually a Princess this time.  
He stood beside his mother on the steps as they listened to the thunderous sound of approaching hooves cantering nearer. Two sets, if he wasn't mistaken. His brother must be riding with his bride, oh how idiotically romantic. Gradually, two horses and their riders, smears of red, white, blue, yellow and orange, came into view and grew sharper and more defined as they drew nearer. Loki smiled and rolled his eyes as the riders came to a halt; Thor had his “am I not amazing?” grin firmly in place as he dismounted and helped his bride down.  
The girl was small (everyone was compared to Thor, though) and seemed to exude a crackling excitement with every movement of her freckled body. Thor said something and her green eyes lit up as she laughed nervously, her hands playing with her red plaits. Seriously? Plaits? He thought. What was she, a blushing pre-pubescent maiden? Mind you, that giggle...  
His brother had now taken her hand and was leading her up to his mother.  
“Mother,” Thor said brimming with pride, “may I introduce you to Princess Anna of Arendelle. Anna, this is my mother Queen Frigga of Asgard.”  
“Queen Dowager,” the older woman corrected as she rolled her eyes and bent down to kiss Anna on the cheek. Anna promptly threw her arms around the Queen Dowager's neck and embraced her as if she were her own mother.  
“I am so glad to finally meet you your majesty! Thor has told me so much about you!” Anna said as a kind of nervous excitement took hold of her.  
“Please, call me Frigga my dear.” As off balance as she looked, Loki could tell his mother was glad to have such an affectionate daughter-in-law. Prospective daughter-in-law, he corrected himself; in Asgard you never knew what might happen.

Anna's smile faltered a fraction as she approached him. Ah. Clearly she had been told all about him as well.  
“Anna, meet my brother Loki. Prince of Asgard.” Thor gave him a look that dared him to disagree. “Loki, meet my bride Anna of Arendelle.” Anna immediately stuck her hand out awkwardly.  
“Pleased to meet you, Loki. Sir. Your majesty. I mean, um -” She babbled.

Once more Loki smiled and rolled his eyes, before taking the young Princess' hand and bowing.  
“I assure you that the pleasure is all mine, Anna. And if I am to call you Anna, you must call me Loki – 'tis only just.”

She looked reassured. Her emerald eyes flicked over to the side and she stepped aside to allow another to take her place.  
“Loki, this is my sister Elsa. Queen Elsa. Of Arendelle. Obviously.” 

Now this creature was truly stunning. She simply radiated regal poise and power. Pale and luminous as purest snow and quick, intelligent, large eyes that were the purest, sharpest ice blue imaginable. Was her hair just a very light blonde, or white? A smile twitched up at the corner of her dark pink lips as she held out her hand.  
“Delighted to make your acquaintance, your royal highness.” Loki bowed elegantly and pressed a kiss onto her hand.  
“Why, thank you. Since we're doing equality among royalty, you may as well call me Elsa.”

He straightened up and froze, still holding her hand. All of a sudden his blood was singing and, judging from her suddenly stiff posture, so was hers. His skin tingled with an instinctual knowledge long since buried deep and left to die.  
“Ice Witch,” he whispered.  
“Frost Giant,” she returned in the same whispered shock and curiosity. 

Thor gave his fiancée a reproachful look.  
“What? I didn't tell her anything! It's not my fault they've got some frozen voodoo thing going on!”  
“Voodoo?”  
“Oh! It's the most amazing kind of magic...” Their voices grew distant as they went inside. Frigga raised an eyebrow at her youngest son and followed them.  
“Loki, release my hand. Please.”

With a jolt, Loki realised that he was still holding on. He let go.  
“Oh. I apologise.”  
“So... I take it your adopted?”  
“Is it really so obvious?”  
“Just a tiny bit.”  
“I'm assuming you're not, then?”  
“No. Obviously.”  
“Ice Witches are exceptionally rare, throughout the nine realms. You should consider yourself lucky.”

Her face broke into the strangest, bittersweet smile.  
“I do. These days. Shouldn't we be going in?”

Loki smiled, recognising the sign of someone who would rather stay silent about their past he offered her his arm and lead her inside. Goodness, he was smiling a lot today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening there was a reception to celebrate the imminent marriage of the King of Asgard and the Princess of Arendelle. Elsa would have argued that a celebration so near to that of the actual wedding was needless, but apparently you don't need to give an Asgardian an excuse to party. She watched her sister dance, wheeling about to the music of some lute-like instruments and booming drums with the man she loved, flushed with excitement and love shining out of her eyes. Elsa needn't worry. Anna was going to fit in just fine here.  
Meanwhile, Anna simply couldn't believe her luck. Forget the King part, Thor was... Thor. He was kind and thoughtful and passionate and maybe he was a bit arrogant sometimes, but his heart was good and he'd never actually hurt anyone till he had to and oh-my-God he was just so gorgeous! She took a mental breath. And looked at her love, drinking in every detail as they reeled around each other – his twinkling blue eyes, the long sandy hair she loved to touch and his beautiful laughing mouth. He caught her staring and with a devilish sparkle in his eyes, he lifted her off her feet and slung her over his shoulder and carried her to the fireplace as she squealed with laughter in delight.  
He put her down and thought himself the luckiest man in all of the nine realms. It had taken breaking into a parallel universe to do it, but he had finally found his Queen. He brushed his fingers across her cheek.  
“What? Do I have something on my face? Oh my God, it's chocolate isn't it -” Anna knew they should have brought something more sophisticated from Arundelle.

He silenced her with a kiss.  
“Silly Anna,” he whispered in her ear. “Even if you were covered in bildsnipe dung, I would love you all the same.”

She had no clue what a... Thingy was, but she understood his where he was coming from. And she understood his heart, as he did hers. And that was the important thing. They may come, literally, from different worlds, but they had love. As ridiculous and corny as it sounded they had true love; it really did conquer all. Even her sister's occasionally frosty and sceptical heart had to recognise a love that evidently transcended mere girlish crushes and earthly passions.  
Elsa walked over to the mead and filled a horn up, within earshot of the happy couple.  
“I love you, you know that right?” Anna said grabbing her Asgardian God round the waist.  
“And I love you too,” he put a protective arm over her shoulder.  
“Not more than me, you don't.”  
“Oh really?” He looked down on her with an amused, but sceptical smile. “Are you in a gaming mood?”  
“Damn straight. I love you more than the ocean is deep.”  
“Well, my love is longer than the Bifrost!”

Elsa almost choked on her mead. That was a funny name for it. Although apparently neither of the love-birds had noticed.  
“Huh, my love for you is...” Anna cast around for ideas. “My love for you is as deep and infinite as space!”  
“Nonsense! My love for you will last to Ragnorok and beyond!”  
“What the hell is Ragnorok?! If you're going to speak in references, explain them!”

Loki was standing a little way off and he caught Elsa's eye and they both chuckled and rolled their eyes. Elsa went over to join him.  
“Only those two could argue over who loved the other more,” Elsa shook her head in fake despair.  
“I know – disgusting, isn't it?” He looked over at the couple, who were both indulging in a thoroughly non-verbal apology.  
“Oh, absolutely. Sickening, really.” She raised her horn, “to the die-hard un-romantics like us.” Loki raised his and locked eyes with her.  
“To realists.”

Never breaking eye-contact with each other, they raised their horns and drank.

Thor smiled at Anna, when they finally came up for air. He was so happy – if only Loki could allow himself to be so too... Over Anna's head, he saw his brother's toast with Elsa. And he was struck with an idea. He looked down at his beloved and spoke low enough for only her to hear:  
“Anna, I have a scheme in mind. Do you...”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

Chapter Two

“... And they can live together in Arendelle and have lots of kids!” Anna finished triumphantly with a gleam in her eye, as she imagined all of her almost-too-cute, pale nieces and nephews. And when they grew up they would be absolutely gorgeous – how could they not with those two as parents! And cheekbones! They were going to have such cheekbones!

Thor coughed to bring his fiancée back to reality, seeing in her eyes that she had gone to a land far, far away. Anna started from her image of Conrad (Elsa and Loki's imaginary first-born) and remembered that she was, in fact, in Thor's mahogany-lined private reception chamber and snuggled down with said Asgardian on the most comfortable sofa-like thing ever the morning after the ball.  
“I'm glad that you agree with me, my love. But the question is, how do we get those two to realise that they are perfect for one another?” Thor sighed.  
“Well, we can't just tell them: “Hey don't you think you two would be cute together?” If I know my sister, she'd decide that she hates him just to prove that she doesn't take orders,” Anna admitted ruefully.  
“Alas, I fear that my brother is also of the same contrary cast of mind. Unfortunately, I do not really have a head for scheming; the only tactics I indulge in are those of the battlefield.”  
“Me neither. It's usually Elsa who does that kind of thing.”  
“Loki does it too. He is not called “The Trickster” for naught.”

They looked at each other and frowned.  
“Can we not just lock them in a room with mead and have a bard recite the great love ballads at the window?” Thor suggested half-heartedly.  
“Elsa would blast her way out with ice, or make an ice giant to bust them out, or freeze the mead into a battering ram.” She batted the suggestion aside.  
“Most likely Loki would trick your sister and hold her hostage until we let them out. Or pretend to die.” He loved his younger brother, but he had to acknowledge his ruthless streak. “Tis a pity that we can't consult with either of their fine minds!”

Anna's green eyes sparked into life:  
“We're both idiots!” She exclaimed. “I know exactly who to ask!”   
“Who?”  
“Frigga!”  
“Mother! Of course! I am such a fool!”  
“Are you sure that you're the right choice for King?” Anna looked up at him with a playful smile.  
“Hm! We shall see.” He swooped down and stole a long and lingering kiss from her lips. “Was that not a kiss worthy of a King?” He smiled.  
“You know can't just kiss me when you can't think of a way to win an argument, right? One day it's not going to work any more,” she said weakly.  
“Until then I am exploiting it to the fullest, I assure you.”  
“Oh that's... That's not a bad thing. At all.” She blushed and looked away, as he stroked her head affectionately.  
“Come, Anna. We must go and consult with Mother.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Loki perused the library. He'd read everything a few times over at least, but it didn't stop him looking hopefully in case some intriguing elf or dwarf had bequeathed some unusual scrolls or books since his last visit. He sighed; no such luck. Sutr, he was bored. Until the wedding in three days time everything in Asgard would be firmly on hiatus. Great. Stuck in a castle with love's young dream and the Ice Queen for three days. Mind you, being stuck in a room with Elsa for three days... He shook himself out of it. Ice Witch, Frost Giant – did that not sound like a toxic combination? They would only bring out the worst in each other. Well. He looked out of the mullioned windows and rubbed his arms. He would bring out the worst in her. He always did that to people.

He heard a rustle. His heart stopped. The only other people who came here regularly were the Scholars and his Mother; the Scholars were resting in honour of the wedding and he knew his Mother to be elsewhere. Moving stealthily, he peered around the shelf and was shocked by what he saw.

Elsa was sat there, poring over a scroll, in a thoughtful pose with one hand pressing the parchment down and the other preventing her swept-back fringe from flopping in front of her startlingly blue eyes. Intrigued he walked over to her shoulder.  
“I wouldn't sneak up on a sorceress if I were you, Loki,” she said without looking up from the page. “Nor would I try it in all that noisy leather.”

He was glad that she couldn't see the dull flush of his cheeks now. He coughed and made a point of studying her scroll:  
“So, I assume you that can actually read runes and that you are not just looking at the pretty pictures?” Get control of the situation, Laufeyson.   
“Of course, can't you?” Elsa snorted softly, still without looking up. Clearly she was used to a better class of jibe.  
“That's impressive. For a Midgardian.”

She looked up. Finally.  
“When you're the heir to the throne and possess an exceptionally volatile power, you would give anything to know how to control your powers. I'm pretty good with Gaelic and I can also translate most Slavic and Romance languages, anywhere where the legends were old enough and the winds were cold enough.” She didn't seem sad, she just looked... Empty.  
“That must have taken quite some time...” Loki said as he desperately cast around for something more to say.  
“Ten years.”  
“Ten...” He looked at her with his eyes wide open. “My, you must have been a scholarly child!”  
“Almost total exile to your chambers and desperately trying not to disappoint your parents can do that to a child.” She raised an eyebrow, almost daring him to be shocked as she pressed her fingertips together in a pyramid and looked up at him. She was somewhat startled to see him look impressed.  
“I can understand a little of that. However, my exile was on an emotional and psychological level – what did you do to deserve such treatment?” Loki was intrigued.  
“Oh, long story. Nearly killed my sister, nearly did it again ten years later. It's a story I'm not sure I'll ever be drunk enough to tell when my sister tells it so often sober.” She rolled her eyes. “It doesn't matter. We're all living in its happily ever after right now.”  
“Are you?” His eyes seemed to pierce her soul and see into her underlying fears. They were the same sparkling and fathomless blue-green as Arundelle's fjords and drew her irresistibly in; all of a sudden she wanted to tell him how she was afraid, that with Elsa gone – with no-one to love her – she might lose control again, and how she feared to ever get close to a man – just in case she hurt him. Just as she had Anna. All those years ago. She blinked and swallowed.  
“So far as I can.” The edge in her voice made it plain that the subject was closed until future notice. Loki cleared his throat.  
“You shan't find anything there,” he supplied. “That scroll's about -”  
“Yggdrassil, the tree that holds the nine realms; I know. This is for pleasure. I found any existing scraps about my powers a long time ago. Lore and legends are kind of... My hobby.”  
“You know, we have the most magnificent tapestry of this particular picture in the Banqueting Hall.”  
“Really?” Oh, now she was interested.  
“Mind, if you wish to see it we shall be taking a mortal risk. It will require subtlety and subterfuge.”  
“Really?”  
“My Mother is currently overseeing the decoration of the Hall; if we get under her feet, the consequences would be grave indeed. I don't take her rage lightly.”  
“Oh, grave indeed.” She nodded with fake gravity. “Shame. I'm bored – you clearly are, it would have been nice.” She looked wistfully into the distance, her head tilted to the side.  
“My dear Elsa, your feminine wiles do you credit and a lesser man than I would crack. However it takes more than a pout to get me to do anyone's bidding. Even my own brother has difficulties getting me to obey promptly, if it is not in my interest.”

Elsa adjusted her frame into a more business-like pose:  
“I think I could make it worth your while.”  
“Really? Go on.”  
“One word.”  
“I'm listening.”  
“Chocolate.”

Loki's tongue flickered over his bottom lip at the mere memory of the heavenly substance from the night before; he had never tried it before and now he was sure that he would never taste anything better.  
“Go on,” Loki's eyes narrowed. If he waited until the wedding he could get more chocolate, why would she think that any old chocolate could sway him now?  
“I happen to have, among my luggage, a box of very special chocolates indeed. They are in fact a sample box of the chocolates which we have brought for the wedding; but these aren't like the chocolates we gave to last night's party. Oh no. These ones have fillings.”

Loki swallowed to prevent himself from salivating over himself:  
“Fillings?” He said trying to stay casual.   
“Mm, yes. Praline, pistachio, marzipan, strawberry, raspberry, caramel – other kinds of chocolate. And things I can't even begin to remember.” She looked at him and smiled wickedly. “But I'm sure it's not worth your ti-”

Loki pulled her up from the chair and started leading her towards the Banquet Hall at a brisk trot as he said, a little too loudly:  
“Sold to the vexing Ice Witch at the back!” Elsa's laughter echoed down the stone corridors.

He didn't even know what half of those flavours were, but he knew he wanted to taste them. Badly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loki peered around the door into the Banqueting Hall and whipped back round to report to Elsa:  
“Right,” he said in a hurried whisper. “My Mother is overseeing the decorations by the High Table, if we're quick we can go and see the tapestry on the East Wall as long as we don't stand too still.”  
“Okay. Let's go.” Elsa started to charge past Loki, until she grabbed her arm.  
“You can't just go in! You stick out like Thor in a dress.”  
“Well how are we supposed to -”  
“Sh... I have a little magic of my own, Ice Witch.”

With a golden shimmer where a Queen and a Prince had stood, a dumpy serving woman and a kitchen boy stood instead. Elsa examined her arms in wonder.  
“Transformation?” She hypothesised out loud. “No, not transformation -”  
“Illusions,”Loki supplied. “Palpable illusions – which seems like a contradiction in terms, but isn't. Anyway come on!”

Loki scuttled across the Hall, like a kitchen boy evading his duties; Elsa decided to play the role of his pursuer and marched huffily after him, swinging her now not inconsiderable rear in indignation. She followed him over to one of the far walls and was stopped in her tracks by sheer wonder. 

The entirety of the wall was draped with a rich indigo blue cloth that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. The cloth itself was adorned with a twisting intricate tree design that seemed so strong, so immense, so... Beautiful, that Elsa had little difficulty believing that it could support the universe. She could have sworn that some of the leaves were moving in an invisible wind. 

After about a minute the kitchen boy, Loki, tapped her on the shoulder:  
“Come on,” he whispered. “We'll be too conspicuous if we keep standing here.”

They rushed back towards the door and found themselves in the Entrance Hall again. They took one look at each other and were overtaken with fits of giggles. Loki had missed this low-level mischief. Trying to stage a coup and destroy a world was all well and good, but that was grand scale, and a lot of hard work; there was a lot to be said for just sneaking in and out under his Mother's nose, without her knowing. 

“Here.” He waved his hand and both of their forms were restored.  
“Well, Loki, “ Elsa said after they had eventually stopped laughing. “That was certainly an experience. Thank you.”  
“Don't mention it. It was fun.”  
“Yes it was. Wasn't it?”

A moment passed in silence as they stared at each other. Elsa cleared her throat:  
“Well, I'm sure that there's something I need to do. Maybe see that Anna hasn't tripped down any stairs or something yet.”  
“Hm? Oh yes, of course. That would be a good idea.”  
“I'll give you your chocolate tonight, okay?”  
“Hm? Okay. Goodbye Elsa.”

She hesitated just that millisecond too long before replying:  
“Goodbye.” And she swept off up the stairs. 

He had forgotten about the chocolate. Now he felt almost bad into manipulating Elsa into manipulating him because he was bored. He shook his head and went back to the library.   
Frigga emerged into the Entrance Hall with a smile that could only be described as devious on her face.  
“Okay, you can come out now you two.” She called, apparently to no-one.

Giggling, Thor and Anna emerged from an alcove.   
““Goodbye Elsa,”” Thor intoned, attempting to imitate his younger brother.  
““Goodbye,”” Anna gasped dramatically in Elsa's voice. They both cracked up again.  
“Your plan has worked prodigiously well, Mother.” Thor was impressed.  
“Naturally. It was simply a question of rousing her curiosity and his sense of mischief and putting them both in the same place at the same time.” She flicked a fan out in front of herself and batted it with a smirk on her face.  
“Um, Mother? Where did you get the fan?” The King asked.  
“Sorceress, remember?” Frigga rolled her eyes.

It had been easy to get Elsa to the library. Simply capitalising on an earlier conversation about the Library, Frigga might have mentioned the Yggdrasil scrolls to Elsa over breakfast – knowing that she would go after Anna mentioned that the she was particularly interested in myth hunting. Loki always went to the Library when he was bored, so that was easy; and by explicitly forbidding any of the party to be in the Banqueting Hall while she was overseeing the decorations, she had essentially ensured an escapade of one kind or another.

Loki might be The Trickster, but he was decades behind her.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I still own nothing, apparently not even my dignity anymore...

Chapter Three

Dinner had been... Pleasant. Ish. Both the conversation and the wine had flowed freely, and everyone had been charming. Even if Thor and Anna kept casting each other sidelong looks and inexplicably exploding into giggles. Elsa and Loki glanced at each other with a look that plainly said that neither of them wanted to know. They had all said good night and gone their separate ways to their separate chambers. And Loki had silently thanked all the Gods that had ever lived that, come the wedding night, Thor's chambers were nowhere near his.

Loki took off his cloak and over layers, thinking of his warm and soft bed with no little anticipation; he had just slid off his black cotton under shirt and thrown it over a chair when there came a rap at the door. Assuming that it was just his mother, he rolled his eyes and marched over to the door – she'd seen him half-naked hundreds of time.

He pulled back the door only to see... Elsa! He resisted the urge to hide behind the door, like a blushing maiden, and leant against the frame. 

“Hello, your royal highness. What can I do for you?” He swore that he wasn't purring on purpose.

Elsa's face was a picture. Her eyes had flown wide open and mouth kept twitching up at the corners, as though she were trying to repress a grin. Great. So his naked chest was a joke, then? He knew he was no Thor, but he had some pride – Sutr! He crossed his arms and watched as something flickered in Elsa's eyes before she finally spoke:  
“Um... Yes... I have chocolate.”  
“Chocolate, Elsa?”  
“Yes! I mean, I owe you – from earlier, that is.” She took a deep breath and thrust the small white box in her hand forward. “A Queen of Arendelle always keeps her word.”

Surprised, Loki took the box from Elsa – brushing her fingers as he did. Her hand darted back as though it had been touched by lightening.   
“Thank you.   
“Don't mention it.”

A few seconds passed that seemed to lapse into eternity. Loki cleared his throat:  
“Well, Elsa. I should be going to bed now.”  
“Yes!” She exclaimed unintentionally loud. “I mean, yes. As I should too.”  
“Goodnight. Elsa.”  
“Goodnight. Loki.”

Loki stepped back and closed the door. He couldn't stop grinning and, as much as he hated himself for it, that had nothing to do with the chocolate. Not that that would stop him sliding into bed and savouring them with a good book; he had been promised fillings and now, by the Gods, he was going to enjoy them.

Meanwhile Elsa was rushing back to her room as fast as her feet could could carry her, pressing her palms against her cheeks. The Ice Witch had never felt less icy in her entire life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The training ground was silent, vast and perfect for Elsa's purpose. Tomorrow was the day of the wedding and both she and Loki would be taking an active part in the ceremony, she needed to clear her head before then. She had only known him for a few days and yet whenever she saw him she blathered and blushed like Anna! It was all highly irritating. She sent a flurry of snow blazing across the butter coloured sandstone and icicle stars into the air. All ready she began to feel more at ease. 

She made rainbows of ice that arced up into the sky and sparkled like a prism in the light. She made a wonderland of frost and snow all about her, adding touches here and there like an artist and making it perfect. She set a fine, slow-falling snow off and beheld her creation. She had also forgotten the bulge of Loki's biceps as he crossed them - 

All of a sudden, a round of applause broke through the silent, frozen air. Elsa whipped around to see a small group of warriors that Elsa assumed to be Thor's Guard looking around in wonder and delight. At the front was Loki looking both impressed and intrigued.

“I apologise,” Elsa said with a smile as she walked over to the group. “I didn't know there was a practice scheduled, if you like I can -”  
“Oh no! Our visit was as spontaneous as yours, your majesty.” A beautiful brunette warrior was still staring around the arena in amazement. From what Anna had told her, this surely must be Lady Sif – the most respected warrior in Asgard.  
“Don't let us disturb you, your highness,” a rather dashing blonde man with a beard and a rapier said with a sweeping bow. Fandral, Elsa assumed; although she eyed the sword nervously.  
“Don't be silly, this is your training ground! And please, all of you, call me Elsa. None of you are my subjects, and if Thor considers you brothers-in-arms and my sister loves you like family – then you are my family too.”

Immediately the atmosphere relaxed. Whilst there was a hierarchy in Asgard, it wasn't necessarily hierarchical – even in the days of the dead King Odin, and even less so under the rule of his son. That the sister of their future Queen did not care for such nonsense either was reassuring; it was plain to see her sincerity. With a wave of her hand all of the snow and ice disappeared. Sif pouted a little. But a glint entered into the huge hairy, axe-wielding one's eyes. There was no mistaking this man for anyone but Volstagg. 

“In that case, I have a proposal. A wager, if you will.”  
“Oh?” Loki was gratified to see Elsa's eyebrow raise with a challenge in her smile.  
“We're bored and we haven't had to fight in ice and snow for some time, better yet against ice and snow.” Volstagg explained.   
“So, would you like me to conjure up a blizzard for you to battle against?”  
“Not exactly. Tell me, Elsa. Are you in a gaming mood?”  
“Depends on the game, Volstagg.”  
“Us against you, let's see who wins the bout. It's our way of welcoming you into the family,” Volstagg leaned on his axe with a genial smile. “What do you say, Midgardian?”

Elsa looked at the group of highly trained warriors in front of her. On the one hand she didn't want to hurt anybody... But on the other she had never backed down from a challenge in her life.

“I accept, Asgardian.” Elsa replied with a defiant smirk. Besides, what better way to test her control? Loki, on the other hand, was significantly alarmed.  
“But she's a Midgardian! And five against one? Thor will kill me on his bride's behalf if anything happens to her!” Loki panicked as Elsa walked over to the other side of the training ground.  
“So, go over to her side,” suggested Hogun. “You make sure she doesn't get killed, and we'll make sure that she doesn't freeze us!”  
“And it would be fitting,” Sif agreed with a small laugh. “The last of the Frost Giants and the first Ice Witch in centuries fighting alongside each other.” There was no malice in the statement, but Loki still raised an eyebrow.   
“Then it's settled! It's us against Loki and Elsa!” Volstagg declared. Loki rolled his eyes and walked over to the other side of the arena to join Elsa.  
“Evening the odds?” She asked.  
“Apparently so,” he replied dryly. “Please tell me that your capabilities aren't purely decorative. If they are, now is the time to say so.”  
“As I said, I nearly killed my sister twice. I believe my offensive abilities are more than sufficient; the only reason I've ever been on the wrong end of a sword was when I thought I deserved to die. My enemy is myself and no other.”

Loki did a double-take. She had said it all so casually. The look on her face as she watched the Guard plan their move was so studiedly neutral that it was almost heart-breaking to behold. For some reason, he had the over whelming urge to wrap her in his arms and protect that slither of vulnerability. Luckily for him, the attack began.

None of them had ever really been tacticians, that was why they needed Thor, so the attack when it came was so obvious that both Loki and Elsa found it painful. They had divided into two groups, Sif and Fandral who were charging at Loki – presumably they thought he was the real threat, - and Volstagg and Hogun. Loki grinned. Clearly they thought that Volstagg's sheer bulk would frighten Elsa and she would panic, leaving an opening for Hogun. Weren't they in for a surprise.

Immediately, Elsa threw up a wall of solid ice and chuckled at the crunching sound as all four of them instantly ran straight into it. 

“Play nice, Elsa.” The grin contradicted Loki's words. 

She pouted and made the ice disappear, covering the ground in a thick snow instead. Loki had to admire the brains on display. Not only had she slowed the down by injuring them, the snow would be cumbersome and energy-consuming to run through. When the Guard reached them they would be considerably weakened.

“I'm assuming that you'll be fine dealing with those two?” Elsa gestured towards the two irate Asgardians rushing towards Loki.  
“Oh just watch me, Ice Witch.” He couldn't resist throwing a wink over his shoulder as he calmly strode out to meet his attackers.

He parried Fandral and winded him with his staff with relative ease – the man always did flourish his weapon too much, it left him open to attack. Sif was never going to be easy. Once she entered the fray, a kind of relentless bloodlust seemed to take her over – which when combined with her skill made her a more than terrifying opponent. Very soon Loki found himself back-to-back with Elsa, blocking each of Sif's blows and struggling to land any of his own. 

Taking care of Volstagg had been relatively easy. A snow giant had seen to that; the man was now desperately running around trying to avoid being squashed like an ant in high summer. Hogun was another matter entirely, he was agile and sure-footed. All of the most efficient tactics against him would result in his death. Elsa supposed that was a bizarre compliment to his abilities. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Loki fighting furiously against Sif – their backs were almost touching... 

Elsa was so distracted that she was only just in time to intercept Hogun's attack. Instinctively, she used the snow underneath him to throw him up into the air and into the back of the snow giant. She breathed a sigh of release as he staggered to his feet and went to sit at the side. Not dead. She had acted on instinct and no-one had died. She celebrated by having the snow giant pin Volstagg to the ground. 

The explosion of snow that had sent Hogun into the air had also distracted Sif long enough for Loki to knock her to the ground. He gently pressed the point of his staff against her throat.

“Yield?” He asked, mildly amused at Sif's shocked expression that anyone had bested her.  
“Yield,” she replied reluctantly. Loki smiled and helped her up. He smiled even wider when he saw what was in the centre of the arena.

Elsa was kneeling next to Volstagg's trapped form:  
“So, what do you say Volstagg? Do you yield, or do you want to try and get out of my friend here's grip? You can try, but he can get a little nasty.” 

The bigger man broke into booming laugh that resonated all around the arena.   
“I yield! I am well and truly beaten! By a mere slip of an Ice Witch!” 

Elsa stood up and with a majestic sweep of her arms, all traces of ice and snow disappeared. As Volstagg stood up, she held out her hand for a shake. He laughed and swept her up in a bone-crushing hug before setting her down on the ground:  
“It is no shame to lose to you, Elsa of Arendelle! I am glad I am not an enemy of your kingdom! With your strength and cunning you are certainly a formidable foe!”  
“Thank you, Volstagg.” Elsa winced as she clicked her spine back into place. “You four aren't exactly small fry either.”

Volstagg shrugged as if to say “we'll do better next time” and waved goodbye. The Guard left the training ground in various stages of bruising, limping and staggering with Loki staring on in amazement. He turned to Elsa:  
“My. I was certainly wrong to worry about you, was I not?”   
“And so was I.” Joy blossomed and exploded inside Elsa like so many fireworks. Only when she took in Laufeyson's shocked face did she realise that tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Oh I'm sorry,” she said embarrassed and wiping her eyes. “It's just... I didn't hurt anyone. Not seriously. Normally, if I'm not careful I overreact with my powers and people... People get hurt. If lose control... But I didn't. I didn't have to think about control, I just let it go and -” She broke off with a blush, thoroughly mortified.

Without a word, Loki pulled Elsa into a hug. Instinctively, he seemed to understand that she needed to prove to herself above all others that she was not a monster. And she had just done so. And it was overwhelming. In the Trickster's arms the Queen of Arendelle felt calm and warm and, confusingly, absolutely no desire to move.   
“I know.” His voice rumbled in his chest and over her head. “I know what it's like to be considered the monster in the stories told to children. Believe me Elsa, you are not. You never were. You are simply magnificent.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thor lead Anna outside into the sun with the intention of taking her out for a ride before lunch. The sight that greeted him in the courtyard shocked him almost beyond words. The Guard, his guard, was stumbling across the paving in varying stages of injury. Sif was sporting a violet bruise across her cheek, Volstagg was clearly having back trouble, Hogun was definitely limping every few steps and Fandral was clutching his ribs. They sheepishly walked past him as he and Anna stared on with their jaws open.   
“Sif,” Thor called out. “What happened here?”

The warrior smiled:  
“Loki and Elsa.” With that she waltzed off behind the others to the infirmary. Both Anna and Thor looked dumbfounded after her. They glanced at each other. What had they done?After spotting something out of the corner of her eye, Anna tugged Thor's cape and pointed to the gate.

The picture of gentlemanly courtesy, Loki had Elsa's hand just resting in the crook of his arm as they walked along at a sedate pace. The Queen of Arundelle said something and the God of Mischief laughed, actually laughed, more honestly and openly than Thor had seen him do so in a very long time indeed. The pair gained the steps.  
“Brother,” Loki said with a graceful dip of his head as they walked past.   
“Did you train well, brother?” Thor asked with a sly side-on smile. 

Elsa and Loki looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.   
“Oh, we certainly trained well brother” Loki said eventually.  
“But I think they're the ones who learnt their lesson!” Elsa supplied. The pair laughed and went inside. 

Anna ans Thor looked at each other once more. What on earth had they unleashed upon the nine realms?


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mawwiage!

Chapter Four

Much to Elsa's absolute mortification, by the time they sat down to dine that evening word had got out about her and Loki's absolute annihilation of the Guard. Even the Guard themselves were beginning to refer to her as “the Goddess of Ice” - which amused the Trickster no end. The court at Asgard also seemed to all of a sudden be paying far more attention to both Elsa and Loki when they interacted with each other, and smiling most strangely when they did; she could have sworn as she got up to retire for the night that she could hear a quiet argument with the words “Elloki” and “Lelsa” being contested. She had absolutely no clue what they meant but she blushed and hurried along her way. 

Loki himself was much puzzled. Not so much by the court – he'd stopped paying them attention long ago – but by the significant looks and smiles his own mother kept throwing his way. He shook his head and returned to his conversation with Fandral; the woman was strange beyond even his comprehension at times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anna woke a little before dawn. Not that she'd slept much at all during the night. She reckoned that she'd surpassed hyperactive at about two and now she was just fizzing with nervous excitement. Today. She was getting married today. To Thor. A God. To say that she was internally squealing would be an understatement.

She was still sat in bed tapping her fingers across her face like crazy when Elsa came in to begin the day's preparations.

“Anna,” the elder sister sighed, “did you get any sleep at all?”  
“Um... I think... Four... Maybe three hours..?” To be honest she was going by the throbbing in her head.   
“Jeez, Anna. Trust you to pick the night before your wedding to become an insomniac! Okay, lie back – let's see if we can't do something about those bags, hm?”

Anna lay back on the bed and obediently closed her eyes. She felt a cold, but rather pleasant mist form above her eyes. By the time Anna stood up again and looked at her face in the mirror her skin was as dewy and refreshed as an autumn morning.  
“Wow Elsa! You really are a goddess!”

Anna saw Elsa's face fall in the mirror behind her.  
“I don't know about that...” Elsa mumbled, blushing slightly as she recalled the day before. The sheer exhilaration of fighting alongside Loki. The victory. The joy. The embrace... The mention of her new nickname brought it all back.  
“Maybe we should ask Loki...” Anna suggested slyly.  
“No!” The older sister exclaimed. “No, I mean – why bother him with it, it's completely... Trivial and ridiculous...”  
“Uhuh.” Anna was beginning to see why people enjoyed teasing her so much, the reactions were fun. She examined the dress hanging in front of wardrobe and casually glanced over to her increasingly flustered sister. “So... When are you going to tell him that you like him?”

Instead of the spluttering and denial that Anna had expected, Elsa looked away and stared at the floor. In that moment she looked so very vulnerable.

“I can't.” Elsa said quietly. “After today, we'll walk separate paths and it will be like we never met. I cannot abandon my people just to... To date some guy! It's not even countries that separate us – it's worlds...” She had given the matter a lot of thought. After a moment, she looked up at her little sister and smiled. “Enough about me! Let's get you into this dress!”  
“Oh yeah, I'm getting married!” Anna exclaimed as she took the dress down and hugged it to her, smiling brilliantly. “I'm getting married...” 

It seemed like so long ago that she had found Thor wounded in the snow. She managed to get him back to the castle in her sleigh and insisted upon putting him in his own room. With each visit, she'd got to know the Asgardian a bit better, as he told her about his world and she saw the innate happiness and goodness hidden behind a sad demeanour. It was a month before he told her about Jane. With that it seemed like a weight had been lifted, as little by little he shed his sadness and took life joyfully into his own hands again.

Anna chuckled to herself as she remembered the day they got together. Thor was just about to be whooshed through the air by Heimdall back to Asgard, or whatever it was officially called, when she suddenly thought that she didn't want him to go. Ever. She looked at Thor, who'd clearly just thought the same thing. Before she knew what she was doing, she had run into his arms and was being held close. When she looked up, they were in Asgard; needless to say Elsa hadn't been thrilled by the accidental kidnapping of her sister and as a result almost all of the subsequent courtship had taken place on Midgard – Earth. Wow, she really was becoming an Asgardian.

***************

The service was to be performed by Frigga in the Great Hall, with Elsa and Loki assisting in the ceremony. And all of Asgard watching. Well, the court anyway. And that was without Anna's half of the guest list! Anna herself tried to do her best to forget about the humongous crowd of people waiting to laugh at her if she tripped up, focussing madly on the door as she waited for the signal to enter with Elsa. 

Thor was watching the selfsame door from the other end of the Hall with increasing impatience; why could they not have held the ceremony under a tree somewhere as soon as they knew they loved each other? Why bother with all this pomp and pageantry- 

The mental rant was cut off as soon as the doors opened. And Anna looked beautiful. Not that she was not so before, but now she stole the breathe from his very lungs. She stumbled a little as she stepped over the threshold and blushed furiously as she righted herself. Thor chuckled a little to himself at that. Still his Anna. Eventually they reached the altar and Elsa cleared her throat to speak the ritual words to her future brother-in-law:  
“Thor Odinson, King of Asgard, do you swear on your honour that you will love, protect and respect my sister Anna Andersen, Princess of Arendelle?”   
“Elsa Andersen, Queen of Arendelle, I swear upon my honour that it was so, it is so and will ever be so!” Not a trace of Thor's usually flippant nature remained in his eyes.  
“Well then, King of Asgard. I give you my most beloved sister.” Elsa transferred Anna's hand into Thor's. “May she be your most beloved as well. Remember your oath to me always, else it shall be remembered for you.” With that ominous pronouncement Elsa went to stand to the side until she was needed again. The assembled guests gave a collective shiver; yesterday they had been glad to gain her as an ally, today they were terrified at the potential for it to be otherwise.

Now it was Loki's turn to step forward.   
“Anna, do you come to us gladly and of your own free will?” He asked kindly.  
“With all my heart, I do.” Her throat was a little dry, but her voice was otherwise sure and steady.  
“Then welcome to our family and let it be yours too from henceforth.” Loki smiled and threw a red satin cape with gold lining – Thor's colours – around Anna's shoulders before retreating to the wings.

Frigga cleared her throat and stepped forward:  
“Thor, do you swear to hold this woman and no other, to counsel her, to take counsel from her, and to love her until death sees fit to take either of you into his embrace?”  
“I swear it by the seas and sky, by thunder and lightening, and the emerald fire in her eyes.” He smiled as those self-same eyes widened at the unscripted line.  
“And do you, Anna, swear to hold this man and no other, to counsel him, to take counsel from him, and to love him until death sees fit to take either of you into his embrace?”  
“I swear it by the sun and the stars, the moon and the land, and all the love I carry in my heart.” Anna reached forward to place her hand gently across his cheek. Thor took it and kissed it fervently; he hadn't been the only one to change his lines a bit.  
“Bring forth the mead,” Frigga called to the side. 

Elsa walked to Frigga's side carrying a tray and two goblets, whilst Loki did the same from the other side with a flagon of mead. Frigga took the flagon and poured it into the crystal goblets. She handed a goblet to both bride and groom.  
“Drink first of your own and then of the other,” the Queen Dowager ordered imperiously. 

Their eyes never broke contact as they did.  
Frigga gave the glasses back to the siblings-in-law, who went and stood off to the side together.  
“That which love has brought together, let only death tear asunder.” She announced to the room. “My son,” she added in a throaty undertone as a tear slid down her cheek. “Kiss your wife.”

Thor gathered up his bride in his arms and they kissed passionately as hundreds of representatives of both Gods and men were united in quiet joy at the spectacle of true love, which very quickly turned into cheering riotous joy as the newlyweds descended from the plinth and Thor boomed:  
“People of Asgard, I present to you our Queen!” He lifted her up and swung her through the air as the cheering soared louder and the music began.

The party was in full swing as Elsa circulated about the room, stopping here and there to greet people and accept congratulations on behalf of her sister. They were all future connections that might come in handy one day, after all. A figure came towards her and she froze: Red hair. Freckly. Reddish complexion. Blue ceremonial uniform. It couldn't be...

And it wasn't. He was taller. Broader. And the features were wrong. Older and more angular. It wasn't Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. The man reached Elsa and bowed gracefully.

“Your majesty, you have not met me but I believe you were acquainted with my youngest brother Hans under most unfortunate circumstances. I am Franz, Crown Prince of the Southern Isles.”  
“Yes. I do believe I was,” Elsa said shortly. She didn't think having her sister's heart broken, her kingdom almost stolen and her head almost severed from her neck was quite covered by “unfortunate circumstances.”  
“I must apologise once more for my brother's behaviour. I am glad that you have not allowed it to influence diplomatic relations with the Southern Isles.”  
“Well, what's a little attempted murder between allies?” Elsa smiled. “I am only glad that you have taken him in hand and no permanent damage was done.” She gestured to her smiling sister across the room.   
“My brothers and I think he suits the life of goatherd quite well.” Prince Franz allowed himself a wicked little smile. “He always was a spoiled brat. We think Gjeitoy will do him a world of good. It's uninhabited.”

Elsa chuckled and grinned.  
“I shan't disagree. Thank you for representing the Southern Isles here today, it can't have been easy to come here.”  
“Not at all, your majesty. Someone needs to show the world that not all Southern Islanders are dishonourable little weasels!” With that he bowed and made his way towards the happy couple. The trip down memory lane continued as she spotted a bulky blonde making his way through the crowd. With a reindeer. Kristoff frowned as he approached his Queen:  
“Please tell me that wasn't who I think it was.”  
“It wasn't who you think it was. It was his brother.”  
“You sure?”  
“Yup.”  
“Oh good. I'd hate to have to disturb Anna's wedding by having to drive an icepick through someone's head.”

Elsa chuckled at that. Kristoff and Anna had dated for a while after the Incident; it hadn't really worked out, but they had parted on good terms. A recovering commitmentphile and a commitmentphobe with a marriage-obsessed foster family had never really been a recipe for success to begin with. They had decided to officially end it when they realised that, after all, they really were just good friends. Nevertheless, Elsa remained fond of him; he was refreshingly frank and open in the world of the court where smiles masked frowns, and all would swear the night was sunny, or the rainstorm just a few clouds if it would curry them a little favour. Even if his thing with the reindeer was... Odd.  
“Just you and Sven here today?” Elsa peered around for any signs of trolls rolling around the floor.   
“Yeah, they're still a bit sore that I'm not the one getting married to Anna,” Kristoff said as he smiled apologetically. “They did give me a present to give to her, - but I had to throw it away after a certain little troll tipped me off that it was enchanted.”  
“Enchanted!” Elsa echoed in surprise. She knew the trolls were a bit obsessive in getting their point across, but still!” “To do what?”  
“They said it was a fertility necklace, Grandpa said it was a poor attempt to make Anna forget Thor and come back to me. Needless to say, everyone's kinda grounded.” Kristoff shook his head at the antics of his family. “Grandpa said it wouldn't have worked anyway, but her hair might have turned green.”  
“So, your family still haven't given up on trying to find you a match?” Elsa made a mental note to have a word with the troll elder – next time it might not be so harmless.   
“Sadly not. I thought it would get better when I moved out and I did. For all of two weeks...” There was something very sad in the way he looked at the floor.  
“Ever considered getting a fake girlfriend. Or boyfriend?” You never knew.

He blushed.  
“No, I could never do that to anyone. Besides, my family would just be pressuring us to get married all ready and that's hard enough when you are in love, never mind when you're not.”

Elsa considered Kristoff's wise words, before suddenly saying:  
“Kristoff, are you gay?”

The man himself spluttered profusely into his drink. And blushed. Sven looked at him as if he had gone mad.  
“Well, no. I don't think so. I – I was with your sister. And I did mean it at the time, and I do still like looking at other girls. Just sometimes I like looking at guys too...” He trailed off, looking at the floor.

Elsa smiled and put her hand on Kristoff's shoulder. 

“It doesn't matter what you decide. There's no pressure. Just take your time and go with whatever you feel is natural. Only, when you do decide – don't be afraid. Hiding what you are and being afraid, and alone... Trust me. It's no way to live.” 

Kristoff gathered Elsa into his arms and whispered a fervent “thank you” into her ear before walking away. He may have avoided looking at her, but she could swear that she'd seen his eyes shining brighter than usual.  
“You're popular today, Ice Witch.” She heard a voice murmur by her shoulder.   
“Maybe they just have good taste, Frost Giant.” She turned around to face Loki.  
“Admirers?” He asked, looking in the direction in which Kristoff and Sven had fled.  
“A walking diplomatic gesture, and Anna's ex turned friend of the family.”  
“Does Thor know?”  
“Probably. I think they'd get on very well.”  
“Ah. A lover of vigorous, outdoor activity?”  
“Yup.”

Silence. Loki eventually cleared his throat.  
“So, who was the “diplomatic gesture?”” He asked.   
“Oh, it was just Prince Franz of the Southern Isles. He sent his youngest brother as an emissary to my coronation; unfortunately, he then proceeded to seduce my sister and attempt to murder both of us in a bid to steal my crown for his own.” She waved a hand dismissively. “It's water under the bridge now. But the Crown Prince felt he should apologise in person.” 

Loki stared at her with his mouth wide open. Water under the bridge?!  
“You shouldn't keep your mouth wide open like that. Something might fly in.” Elsa raised her eyebrows with a half-smile.  
“The only time you were on the wrong end of a sword?” He questioned.

A darkness passed over Elsa's blue eyes.  
“Let's not do this today.” She said eventually. “Today is about my sister and your brother starting their life together and looking to the future, not me raging about the past.”

Loki nodded. They stood in companionable silence for a while. Elsa's heart was warmed to see Kristoff laughing and smiling with Franz of the Southern Isles, interest glittering in both of their eyes.  
“Would you like to dance?” Elsa asked suddenly. “I'm leaving tomorrow and I don't want to go with any regrets.”  
“Would you regret not dancing with me?” Loki seemed incredulous.  
“Yes.” She held out her hand. Carpe diem, she thought as she steeled herself for rejection.  
“It would be an honour, my dear Ice Witch. And one less regret of mine.” He took her hand with a positively devilish grin. 

Tomorrow and parting would come, but until then they had each other, the music and the dance.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Hangovers and tiredness a plenty were being nursed the day after the wedding in the departures queue for Arendelle. Elsa wondered, as she hung back to let her subjects go first, how some of them would react to Heimdall's particular brand of travel in their semi-pickled states. She made a mental note to look where she stumbled when she landed, for the sake of her shoes if nothing else.   
“Elsa!”

She whipped around to see who was calling her name. Her younger sister was rushing towards her (still dressed in a nightgown and dressing gown), with her new husband in tow. Elsa frowned. Shouldn't Anna not be around the morning after her own wedding? They had said goodbye the night before for that very reason.  
“Anna!” She gasped as her sister threw herself into her arms and buried her face in her neck. “What are you doing here, you lovebirds? Shouldn't you be lovebirding elsewhere?” She looked at her brother-in-law in askance over her sister's shoulder. He just kept on smiling in an infuriatingly smug “I know something you don't know” way.

Anna eventually broke the embrace:   
“I'm so glad that we caught you before you left! I need your approval for my first official act as Queen!”  
“No you don't.” Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Your kingdom, your rules – it's none of my business unless you do something to do with Arendelle. Like declare war. Please tell me you're not declaring war.”

Anna laughed brightly.  
“No, silly!” She shook her head comically. “Seeing as there's now an official alliance between Asgard and Arendelle – we should make it even more official.”  
“How?”  
“Considering that you are our first sovereign state to declare itself our ally on Midgard, should we not have our first official embassy in Arendelle? To negotiate trade agreements and keep an eye on the increasing amount of Asgardians that seem to find their way to earth.” Anna stated with a stately level of poise. Clearly she had learnt her lessons as the heir to Arendelle well.  
“Yes... Obviously, we shall have to have an embassy here too,” Elsa mused aloud.  
“So, you agree?”  
“It would be wise, I suppose...”  
“Great! Then you can take our Ambassador with you! He can stay with you at the castle until an embassy is built!” Anna clapped her hands together, as if to declare the deed was done.   
“What? What?!”  
“When you've decided on yours, you can tell the Ambassador and Heimdall will bring him here.”  
“Huh? This is a little... Fast.”  
“Well, “strike while the iron's hot” 'n' all that. And besides,” Anna added with false gravity, “you wouldn't want to hurt his feelings and cause a diplomatic incident before he even got there, would you?”  
“I... Suppose not?”  
“Good, because he's already here.”

The exceptionally smug Thor stepped aside to reveal Loki in a black travelling cloak with a trunk and a sheepish smile.  
“Morning, Ice Witch,” he said pleasantly – enjoying the look of pure stupefaction on Elsa's face.

***********************

 

The group went their separate ways amicably, with a few choice threats hissed into Thor's ear on Elsa's part. Very soon Elsa and Loki were in a carriage speeding away from Heimdall's drop-off point to the castle at the heart of Arendelle's first city. It had none of the gleaming technological splendour of Asgard, but it was very... Loki struggled to think of a less patronising adjective than “quaint.” It wasn't quite what he wanted to express. Charming? No, there was too much steel under the whimsy for that. Minimal? No, it was too detailed. Vibrant. That was it. There was a sense of life coming from every brick, and all the people there bustled with friendly purpose – it was positively vivacious.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of sharp, ice blue eyes watching him nervously. It really seemed to matter to her that he liked it, bizarre and strangely gratifying as he found it. He turned to the Ice Witch and gave her a reassuring smile. Satisfied, she turned to the view outside of the window.   
“It's rather full of life, isn't it?” Loki remarked.  
“Yes it is isn't it? I can't believe I spent so long without seeing any of it! Anna was always the one who was hung up on seeing the world outside the castle and meeting people, but now I love being outside and around everyone. I try to go out everyday, if I can,” Elsa enthused.  
“You really were under house arrest, weren't you?”  
“They didn't think it was safe.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I couldn't really control my powers very well after the first time I... Well, nearly killed Anna. So the entire castle was shut up. And I shut myself away from everyone else.”  
“Didn't your parents try and stop you?” Loki asked wondering, not for the first time, about the competence of Elsa and Anna's parents.  
“No. As long as I came down for meals, did well in my studies and didn't freeze anything it was all fine and dandy. Just your average, happy, reclusive family – nothing to see here!”  
She felt her jaw tense as just how twisted the whole situation was dawned on her again, not for the first time since she had come to terms with her powers. She was grateful that her fellow passenger hadn't felt the need to comment further.

They pulled up at the castle. A short, wiry older man with mad white hair came rushing outside, almost crashing into the carriage door. Loki would have found it funny, if it hadn't been for the look of worry on his face. Elsa frowned and opened the door.  
“Yes, Toby?”  
“Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's happened again.”  
“Ugh. They couldn't even wait until I was in the country again? Why can't they just wait til spring?”  
“It's summer now, ma'am.”  
“Exactly, it means I don't have to put up with this nonsense for another year.”

Loki and Elsa followed the strange, fussy little man out of the carriage and across the beautiful courtyard, the Asgardian wondering what they could possibly be talking about.  
“My dear Elsa, what on earth is going on?” He asked the striding Queen next to him.  
“Sadly, nothing out of the ordinary. Oh Toby!” She called after the fussy little man, who looked over his shoulder. “This is Prince Loki of Asgard, he'll be joining us as an ambassador for the foresseable future.”   
“Charmed, I'm sure.” The strange little man steamed ahead with barely a glance in his direction.  
“That's my Prime Minister, Tobias Noren. He's a little peculiar, but you'll find none more efficient or loyal.”  
“Or more willing to put up with you and your sister's continuing nonsense!” Toby's voice from several paces ahead.  
“Well it's just mine now!” The Queen called back at her impertinent Prime Minister.

The little of the halls of Elsa's castle that Loki saw as they rushed through he admired greatly. The few rich colours interspersed amongst the simple, uncluttered lines of the impressively large rooms were much more to his tastes than the occasionally gaudy splendour of Asgard. All too soon they were in the throne room, although even a stranger like Loki could tell that all was not as it ought to be.

Almost everywhere you looked there was a painiting on an easel with a small card attached. Each and every single painting was, without exception, of a man. Men on horses, men posing with weapons, men reclining with books, men looking thoughtful out of windows, men in allegorical scenes even! Loki did not believe that he had ever seen so many variations of the male form in one room before. A little hem hem alerted him to the fact that there was someone else in the room.

A statuesque lady of dark and sombre dress stepped out from behind one of the easels:  
“Your majesty, we of the court beg of you to consider taking one of these suitors in marriage.” She spoke with an even, almost ritualistic tone.  
“My lady, surely it is too early to think on this? Have I not tried to rule well on my own?” Replied Elsa with dignity.  
“Your majesty, with the marriage of your only heir to a foreign nation we simply believe that it is time that you consider the question in earnest. Should anything happen to you, your people would fall under foreign rule.” The mysterious lady curtsied respectfully.  
“Very well. Please arrange these portraits in a similar manner in my private library; I would not have anyone surveying me as I cull.”  
“Very good, your majesty.”  
“My lady, may I introduce you to His Royal Highness Prince Loki Laufeyson – Ambassador to Asgard. Ambassador, may I present Lady Alerie Jensen – the Senior Court Secretary. The Ambassador shall be staying here until other arrangements can be built.”

Both parties made the appropriate obeisances with ease. Lady Alerie gave Loki an appraising look that made him feel as though war were soon on the horizon.  
“Lady Alerie, could you please let Martin know of the Ambassador's arrival? I do not expect a feast, that would be unreasonable; but if he could rustle up some of his famous Black Forest Gâteau, that would be marvellous.”  
“Your majesty. Ambassador.” The woman nodded to acknowledge them before sweeping out of the room.  
“That woman!” The Prime Minister burst as soon as she was gone. “She didn't acknowledge me once! She never has! It's because I'm not Earl or Lord So-And-So, I know it is! The snob!”  
“Now Toby, I'm sure that's not it.”  
“I'm sure it is. I should know, I've been dealing with it all my life.” The short man took a steadying breath. “However, as much I hate to admit it, she is right. I must advise you to formally consider the question of succesion. I suppose that's why you're here.” He said, finally looking at Loki properly.  
“I am here to represent the crown of Asgard.” Loki said firmly. The little man looked at him appraisingly.  
“Uhuh. Sure you are.” Without further comment, he left the room.

Elsa stood in the middle of the room and looked around her, looking all of a sudden very small and lost. It was as though she might drown in the sea of suitors.  
““Should anything happen to you.”” The Queen quoted with more than a touch of bitterness. “They've been waiting for something to happen to me ever since my coronation; for me to die after I lose control of my powers, for someone to get lucky trying to kill the witch on the throne so the good sister can take over.”

Loki honestly knew not what to say. So he did what he did best: Japed. He walked over to the nearest portrait and delicately fingered the small card next to it.  
““Eric is a keen fisherman and is fond of playing with his dog.”” He read aloud. “My goodness, I wonder if that's a euphemism?” Elsa chuckled in spite of herself. “This Eric chap looks like an uncomplicated fellow, untroubled by serious thought. Perhaps he'd have better luck landing himself a mermaid, than a queen?” Once again Elsa chuckled a little, the sound chiming like silver bells across the room.

They amused themselves making scathing assessments of each would-be suitor until the servants arrived to take the paintings away. It wasn't kind, Elsa thought to herself, but it did make her feel better.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner had gone astoundingly well. Loki had introduced himself to all of Elsa's Council and had charmed most of them, as well as managing to cunningly deflect all conversation away from the Queen the moment that suitors were even approached. Elsa had looked at him gratefully with those beguiling blue eyes every time, and every time that look had made it worth the effort. 

Mind, he would have turned over all nine realms just to have more of this glorious confection! The sweet and bitter cake with its profusion of delicious, kirsch-soaked fruit was pure heaven, he would have to get the recipe for himself before he went back... He looked over at the Ice Witch and knew, with a sudden sinking of his heart, that it wouldn't taste as good on Asgard.

A messenger burst in through the doors, out of breath and clad in the colours of the Southern Isles:  
“Urgent message... From the Crown Prince...Couldn't wait your majesty... So sorry to interrupt -”  
“Never mind that, please tell me the message.” Elsa was on her feet now and poised for action.  
“The former Prince Hans is... No longer on Gjetoy... He has escaped.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum, dum DUUUUM! Next time: Mysteries, madness and mayhem!

**Author's Note:**

> Non-Avengers and Dark World compliant AU, with serious characterisation liberties taken as a result. If you take the events of those films into account, then Loki is hardly a desirable romantic hero :P


End file.
